Type-metal bar or pig for pot feeders



' y 1929- D. s. KENNEDY TYPE METAL BAR OR PIG FOR POT FEEDERS Original Filed July 11, 1924 A A l I Original application filed July 11, 1924 bar; and

the guide.

Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT 01-" DAVID sxammnr, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ABSIGNOB To nnemrrnam TYPE comrm, A coarom'rron or L no- NEW YORK.

:TYPE-HETAL BAR OR- PIG FOR POT FEEDERS.

' In my co-pending application Serial No. 7 25,343, filed J ulyll, 1924, there is disclosed an improved form of type-metal bar. feeding mechanism for supplying cold metal to'the melting pot of a linotype machine, said mechanism consisting of a guide or chute for the metal bars or pigs, and an automatic pawl or detent which cooperates with the bars or pigs to advance them step by step into the molten metal.

The present application, which is a division of the foregoing application, is directed to the type-metal bar or pig per so as used in connection with the above mentioned feed mechanism, altho it will be understood that the type-metal bar will be equallyuseful in connection with other forms of mechanism as well. i w I In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pot feeder forming the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 725,343 above referred to; v

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken thru the uide or chute and showing one of the metal ars in cooperation with the automatic feed aw]; i p Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, but showing the pawl withdrawn from the guideto release the metal Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, on a greatly reduced scale,.showing both ends of the metal bar, and the manner in which it is allowed to follow the preceding one thru In carrying out the present invention, the cold metal to .be' supplied to the potis in the form of long bars or pigs X, which may be of any suitable length and of any desired j form in cross-section, and which are provided with a series of squared-off arresting teeth or shoulders X In the example illustrated,

the teeth are cast on one ofthe side faces of the bars and extend entirely across the same from one edge to the other, the rear walls X? of the intermediate recesses sloping upwardly toward the. shoulders to facilitate their cooperation with the feed pawl. The metal bars X are fed into the pot thru a suitable guide or chute E extended, downwardly thru an opening inthe pot cover. As a convenient means of support, the chute is provided at its opposite edges with hori- As thus supported, the chute E and all of its attachedparts may bereadily applied to and removed from the pot at will. The chute is provided with a pair of grip handles E to facilitate such'manipulation. q

The feeding ofthe metalbars thru the chute E is controlled by a pawlor detent F pivoted by a pin. F to the side of the chute and adapted'to be rocked into, and out of engagement with the metal bar thru an-aperture E cut thru the side of the chute. As shown in Fig. 2, when the pawl F is in active position, it stands in engagement with one of the shoulders X and positively prevents the descent of the bar. When, however, thepawl, is withdrawn or moved to inactive position (Fig. 3), it clears the shoulders X and permits the bar to slide downwardly along the chute. In this connection, it may be noted that the chute is provided at'its lowerend with a steel strap or. stirrup which limits the descent of t e metal bar when released by the awl. After the metal bar has thus beenv re eased, the pawl F is returned to active position in time to be lowing shoulder X and again limit the descent of the bar until the time arrives for the next release of pawl, and the strap E, exercises and insures its progressive stepengaged by the fol-- the bar. In this way, the particularly in cooperation with Serial No. 725,348. Divided and this application filed larch 80, 1928. Serial N0. 265,983.

by-step advance into the pot under theaction of gravity.

Directly above the pawl F and mounted to turn on the same pivot pin F is a right-angular actuating lever G, the shorter arm of which is formed with a depending 1i Gr arranged to engage the outer edge of t a pawl F; A helical spring H, connected at one end to the longer arm of the'actuati ,lever G1 and at its 0 posite end tothe si ejof the chute E, tens constantly to hold the lip G in engagement with the pawl F and the latter in active position, or in engagement with the metal bar. When the melting pot isswung forward to casting position, the longer arm of the actuating lever G engages an 11' right inc pin J of a stationary brac et (not 3 o'wn) ner. before described.

againstthe action of the spring H (see 'Fi 3 a I o long as the molten metal in the pot is at the desired ,level, the rocking movements of the actuating lever-G de not affect the pawl F, which remains projected into the chute E to prevent the release or descent of the metal bar; but when the metal falls below such level, the pawl is automatically coupled to the actuating lever and withdrawn from the chute so as to release the metal bar in the man- Such action of the parts is controlled by a float K located in the melting pot and resting in the molten metal. This float'is conn ected'to'the lower end of a vertical rod or stem K -slidable in guides E on the side of-the chute and bent at right anglesat'its upper end to make telescopic connection with a sleeve K? carrying a vertical coupling pin K This pin K passes [downwardly thru a-tubular boss G rising fromthe shorter. arm of the actuating lever G and is adaptedto be lowered-into or lifted out of engagement with a hole 'or recess F formed in thepawl F according to the position of the float K.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the actuating lever G is rocked to and fro at each casting operation, being moved in one direction by its engagement with the stationary pin J as the melting pot advances to 1' casting position, and in the'opposite direcvter to the actuating lever.

tion by the spring H asthe pot retreats from casting position." Such to-and-fro motions of the actuating lever are'purely idle and do notaffectthe pawl F until the molten metal in the pot drops below the desired level. When this occurs, as above intimated, the float K lowers the coupling pin K into the recess F of the pawl F and connects the lat Due to this connection oftheparts, upon the next advance of the melting pot to casting position, the pawl F is withdrawn from the chute E'and becomes disengaged from the tooth X on the metal bar X (see Fig. 3), permitting the latter' to slide downwardly by gravityinto the CPI 1 position and at the same time, due to the engagement of'the lip G with the pawl F, to

project the latter back into the chute E for engagement with the next tooth X on the I metal bar. Thepawl F then remainsin this position until it is again coupled to the actuating leverbythe lowering of the float K,

' sired level.

the foregoing operations being repeated whenever the molten metal falls below the de- In this way, the metal bars are fed into the pot step by step under positive control and in such manner that the molten metal is l iept at a substantially constant level and at a practically uniform temperature.

It may be observed that when'thelast or uppermost tooth on the metal bar. passes the a pawl F, the bar is then free to pass into the melting pot as rapidly as it is fused. This would result ina slight raising of the metal within the pot above the level desired, if the barwere of uniform bulk thruout. To avoid this result, the upper end portion ofthe bar is preferably reduced or cut away, as at K (see Fig; l), so'that the continued'fusion thereof will not cause the molten metal to rise excessively, the latter being thus kept at ap proximately the same level at all times. As an alternative, the pawl F might be placed at a lower level or nearer'the lower end of the guide orchute E, if desired. It. may also be observed that, by reason of the foregoing condition, a new bar when placed in the chute to follow its predecessor, if formed with teeth X thruout its extent, would be arrested by the engageincntof the pawl F with its first or lowermost tooth, and when released, caused to drop the full distance from the pawl to the strap Ff. While this would not be serious, it may be avoided by omitting the teeth X at the lower end of the bar, asalso indicated in Fig. l, which shows a new bar resting upon the remaining portion of the preceding bar. It will be apparent from this figure that as the old'bar melts away, the new bar is permitted to slide down the chute until arrested by the engagementof its first tooth with the pawl-F, at which time'the-end of the bar will stand only a short'dist ance away from the strap E f i Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is'as follows:

1. A type-metal bar formed on one of its faces with a series of arresting shoulders, said shouldersterminating short of the lower end of the bar, for the purpose described.-

2. A type-metal having'a'reduced up: per end portion and formed on one of its faces with a series of arresting shoulders, for the purpose described. i 8. A type-metal'bar formed on one of its faceswith, a se'ries of arresting shoulders, the said shoulders terminating short of the upper and lower end portions 'of'the bar, and the upper end portionbeingreduced or cut away, for the purpose described.

i In testimony. whereof, I have affixed my signature hereto,

- DAVID s. KENNEDY. 

